Vacuum coating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A vacuum coating apparatus for coating various products comprises a housing which includes a fixed part and a rotatable cover part which together define a closed gas sealable housing chamber which may be evacuated. A plurality of product supports are carried on the movable part of the housing at spaced locations and they are movable to present them at various operating stations. One of the operating stations preferably includes a gas sealable coating chamber which is communicable with the gas sealed housing chamber and it is provided with separate means for evacuating the coating chamber. Movable sealing means are located at at least one of the stations for sealing the coating chamber and isolating it from the housing chamber. Similarly, a loading chamber is advantageously located at a separate station and is separately communicable with the housing chamber or it may be isolated from the housing chamber and separately evacuated.

I t a United States atent [191 [111 3,915,117 Schertler [45] Oct. 28,1975 [5 VACUUM COATING APPARATUS 3,649,339 3/1972 Smith.... 118/49 xInventor: Roman Scherfler, u A stria 3,749,383 7/1973 Vorgt et a]. 266/5A [73] Assignee: Balzers Patent-und Beteiligungs-AG, im y m -M S apLiechtenstein Attorney, Agent, or F [rm-McGlew & Tuttle [22] Filed: Nov.18, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT PP 524,865 A vacuum coating apparatus for coatingvarious products comprises a housing which includes a fixedpart 30 F A PD and a rotatable cover part which together define a z i pplc a-"m "on yata closed gas sealable housing chamber which may be Nov. 2 973Switzerland 16602/73 evacuated A plurality of product pp are Carried 1on the movable part of the housing at spaced locations [22] l18/(l:923%:6%501; and they are movable to present them at various Open E 1d 1 8 48 6 1 ating stations. One of the operating stations preferably 0earc 5 A 6 includes a gas sealable coating chamber which is communicablewith the gas sealed housing chamber and it is provided with separatemeans for evacuating the [56] References Clted coating chamber. Movablesealing means are located UNITED STATES PATENTS at at least one of thestations for sealing the coating 1,073,235 9/1913 Hillebrand, Jr. 226/5A chamber and isolating it from the housing chamber. 1,118,869 1 l /1914Kugel 266/5 A Similarly, a loading chamber is advantageously located Aat a Separate Station and is separately communicable with the housingchamber or it may be isolated from co 3,473,954 10/1969 Manson u l8/48 Xthe housing chamber and separately evacuated. 3,568,632 3/1971 Cawthon118/49 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures VACUUM COATING APPARATUS BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates ingeneral to the construction of a vacuum coating apparatus for coatingvarious products and in particular to a new and usefulyacuum coatingapparatus which has a plurality of different working stations forinserting and removing as well as for processing products and whichincludes a rotatable transport device for the products carried onsupports which are locatable in the main chamber which is capable ofbeing separately evacuated from one or more separate stationarychambers.

2. Description of the Prior Art y The present invention dealsparticularly with vacuum coating apparatus wherein various articles orproducts must be inserted into an evacuation chamber and subsequentlycoated after they are first heated for the purpose of cleaning thesurfaces to be coated and thereafter coated in an evacuated chamber forexample by evaporation or cathode sputtering and are subsequently cooleddown and removed from the chamber;

There are known vacuum coating devices in which the products to becoated are continuously charged into a Accordingly it is an object ofthe invention to provide an improved coating device wherein movablehousing means defines a main chamber and the movable portion carriesaplurality of separate supports for articles to be processed whichmay bemoved into alignment with one or more separate sealable chambers forexample for coating or removing the objects which may be separatelyevacuatedand which may be connected to the main chamber of the housingor isolated therefrom. A further object of the invention is to provide acoating apparatus which is simple in design, rugged in construction andeconomical .to manufacture.

.For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference ismade to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS v In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a vacuum coating apparatusconstructed in accordance with'the invention; and

. IG. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIG.

GENERAL-DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENT Referring to thedrawings in particular the invention embodied therein comprises housingmeans which incoating chamber results in sealing difficulties which is isolved only by provision of expensive air-lock constructions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a vacuum coatingapparatus which is reliable in service and can be constructed at lowerexpenses than the known devices and make it possible to carry outdifferent treatments of the products in vacuum chambers which arehermetically separable from each other.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a vacuum coatingdevice which has a plurality of different working stations or operatingstations which permit the air-tight insertion and removal and also theprocessing of the products. The device comprises a movable preferablyrotatable transport device for the products which are located in a mainchamber which is capable of being evacuated. At least one of theoperating stations includes a separate chamber for coating for examplewhich is designed to be aligned with a support structure carried by themovable part of the housing defining the main chamber. The arrangementis such that the coating chamber may be isolated from the main chamberand separately evacuated during the treatment. With the construction ofthe invention substantially all of the lift and swiveling valves whichare neces sary particularly in plants which comprise a plurality of.mutually separable vacuum chambers can be omitted due to the inventionand the costs of the installation therefore can be substantiallyreduced.

cludes a bottom part 1 and a cap-shaped top part 2 which togetherdefinea closed main sealable chamber 50. A rotatable article or productsupport or transport table 3 is affixed to a shaft 4 which is rotatablein and hermetically sealed with the bottom ,housing'part l. Thetransport table 3 is provided with a plurality of .working stations andin the embodiment shown it includes four separate working stations 5, 6,7 and 8. Each working station has support means for supporting aworkpiece 9 or product to be coated. For this purpose the support meanscomprises an inwardly directed shoulder 10 which carries the workpiecesor the supports therefor 9 with the products to be coated which ,asshown in the embodiment of the drawings'comprises as indicated by thedouble arrow 52.

By rotating the shaft 4 the individual supporting rings 5, 6, 7 and 8can be brough successively into different working stations or operatingstations. A plurality of such operating stations are provided and in theembodiment shown one of the working stations comprises a first chamber15 and another comprises a second chamber 16 which may be separatelyevacuated and which may be hermetically closed relative to the mainchamber 50.

Preferably at least one chamber such as the chamber 15 serves for theinsertion and removal of supports 9. This working chamber is formed assoon as one of the support structures 5, 6, 7 or 8 which are in the formof rings is aligned with a fixed part 17 which is connected into the topcover wall 2 of the housing and it communicates with the main chamber50. In the embodiment shown the ring part 7 aligns with the stationarypart 17. The stationary part 17 includes a cover portion 18 and thechamber 15 is connectable to a connection or conduit'20 which isconnected to an evacuation pump or an aeration pump (not shown).

When the chamber 15 is to be separately sealed from the main chamber 50a sealing plate 19 which is carried on the housing bottom portion 1 isdisplaced axially in the direction of arrow 54 to close against thebottom of the support 9 so that when the cover 18 is in place thechamber 15 may be separately isolated from the main chamber 50 andevacuated through the connection 20. It is possible while the mainchamber 50 is still evacuated to open the working chamber 15 and placethe products to be coated for example a support 9 carrying lenses to becoated in the supporting structure 7. The supporting structure 9 as wellas the supporting structure 7 may be designed in accordance with thetype of products which are normally handled. For example a plate havingopenings in which the lenses are positioned or having an underside forsecuring the lenses thereon. Support 9 can also be replaced by a singleobject for example a mirror body to be coated.

After the working chamber 15 is closed and reevacuated and upon loweringof the valve plate 19, the supporting ring 7 carrying the products to betreated can be displaced into the next working station. Such a workingstation may be equipped for example with means for deposition byevaporation such as chamber 16 as shown in H6. 1. The working chamber 16is provided with a separate evacuation connection 21 and it is equippedwith one or more evaporation sources 22 of known construction. As soonas a support ring 5, 6, 7 or 8 is moved into alignment with theevaporation station, the space in which the deposition by evaporationtakes place is evacuated and the deposition can be carried out.

Should it be necessary during the evaporation stage to close theevaporation chamber relative to the main chamber 50 or perhaps to closeit relative to other working chambers which may require different gaspressures for example such as the air lock chamber 15, the evaporationchamber 16 can also be hermetically closed relative to the main chamber50. This is accomplished by movement of a plate 23 into pressureengagement with the supporting ring which is positioned in theevaporation station shown in FIG. 1. An air-tight vacuum chamber 16 isformed by supporting ring 5 and the part 25 of the chamber 16 and aremovable bottom 26. Suitable seals are provided between these parts toinsure the air tightness. After the coating operation is finished theplate 23 can be removed from the ring 5 and the ring thus becomes readyfor further displacement.

In a similar manner hermetically closable working chambers can be formedfor any other working stations which are desired or necessary. Suchstations may be equipped for further depositing by evaporation orcathode sputtering or for heating or cooling of the substrates to becoated or of the deposited layers on the substrate in order to bombardthe surfaces to be coated with ions or electrons and the like.

In order to remove the finish-treated products from the apparatus one ofthe working stations may be designed as an air lock chamber and it isuseful to provide that the same chamber will be used for insertion andremoval as shown in respect to the chamber 15.

The number of the required working stations or the working chambers andtheir distribution and the operational steps which are carried out ateach station depends not only on the kind of operation to be performedat each step but also on the periods of time necessary for this purpose.Advantageously approximately the same period of time is provided foreach of the working stations since the longest of these periodsdetermines the station time which in a continuous operation must beobserved for consecutively advancing the treated products from onestation to the next.

The main chamber is evacuated either through a separate evacuationconnection or through one of the working chambers which has its ownevacuation connection and provided such evacuation is possible withrespect to the operations which are being performed The inventivearrangement has the particular advantage of being very flexible. inaccordance with this requirement most various working chambers can beflanged to the main chamber if corresponding separation flanges areprovided. It is useful if possible to arrange the whole equipment of oneworking chamber on a single flange plate such as the plate 26 as shownin FIG. 1 so that it is sufficient to replace only this plate.

It is not absolutely necessary of course to provide the supportingstructures in an annular form as shown in the present example. Suchstructures may comprise rectangular cross section if desired. In thedrawing a resilient mounting of the supporting structures is shown butinstead the transport table 3 itself may be mounted for resilient upwardand downward axial displacement. For such purpose the bushing of theshaft 4 would be designed for rotary as well as axial displacementmovement. The resilient-support of the support structures on the workingtable offers the best possible advantages both in respect tocommunication with the upper and lower side of the housing main chamber50.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A vacuum coating apparatus for coating various products, comprisinghousing means having an interior gas sealable housing chamber which maybe evacuated, means defining a plurality of operating stations adjacentsaid housing, at least one movable member in said housing movable toeach of said operating stations, a plurality of product supports carriedon said movable member at spaced locations, at least one operatingstation including a gas sealable coating chamber which is communicablewith said gas sealed housing chamber and which has connection means forevacuating said coating chamber, movable sealing means at said at leastone operating station for sealing said coating chamber and isolating itfrom said housing chamber, said product support means comprising ringmembers, said gas,

sealing coating chamber comprising a cylindrical housing alignable witheach ring member, and said movable sealing means comprising a platemember engageable on the opposite side of said ring member from said gassealable coating chamber and being engageable with the end of said ringmember to seal it.

2. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said productsupports are resiliently supported on said movable member.

3. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, including anadditional gas sealable chamber at one of said operating stations havingan additional connection means for evaporating said additional gassealable chamber, said gas sealable chamber comprising a cylindricalmember having a removable cover at the exterior .of said housing forloading and unloading products therethrough.

4. A vacuum coating apparatus comprising a housing having a bottom plateportion, a top cover portion covering said bottom plate portion anddefining a main sealable chamber therein, a rotatable table in saidhousing main chamber, means connected to said table to rotate said tablesealed with said housing member, a plurality of ring supports spacedcircumferentially around said table and having means for supporting aproduct to be coated therein, and each being aligned with an annular topring surface adjacent said cover and an annular bottom ring surfaceadjacent said bottom plate of said housing, at least one coating chamberconnected to said bottom plate of said housing and opening into saidmain chamber, said coating chamber having a coating chamber evacuationconnection for evacuating said coating chamber, resilient means resiliently supporting said table and the associated ring supports for axialdisplaceable movement toward and away from said coating chamber, and acover plate mounted on said cover and being displaceable toward saidring to engage and seal said ring and displace it into sealingengagement with said coating chamber.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, including at least one secondchamber connected to said cover and having an annular edge alignableover the annular end of said ring support structures, a separateadditional evaporation connection connected to said additional chamberfor evacuating said additional chamber and a second sealing platedisplaceably carried on said bottom plate of said housing and movabletoward said sealing ring which is aligned with said additional sealingchamber to displace said ring toward said chamber and to seal the endthereofin respect to said main chamber.

1. A vacuum coating apparatus for coating various products, comprisinghousing means having an interior gas sealable housing chamber which maybe evacuated, means defining a plurality of operating stations adjacentsaid housing, at least one movable member in said housing movable toeach of said operating stations, a plurality of product supports carriedon said movable member at spaced locations, at least one operatingstation including a gas sealable coating chamber which is communicablewith said gas sealed housing chamber and which has connection means forevacuating said coating chamber, movable sealing means at said at leastone operating station for sealing said coating chamber and isolating itfrom said housing chamber, said product support means comprising ringmembers, said gas sealing coating chamber comprising a cylindricalhousing alignable with each ring member, and said movable sealing meanscomprising a plate member engageable on the opposite side of said ringmember from said gas sealable coating chamber and being engageable withthe end of said ring member to seal it.
 2. A vacuum coating apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said product supports are resilientlysupported on said movable member.
 3. A vacuum coating apparatusaccording to claim 1, including an additional gas sealable chamber atone of said operating stations having an additional connection means forevaporating said additional gas sealable chamber, said gas sealablechamber comprising a cylindrical member having a removable cover at theexterior of said housing for loading and unloading productstherethrough.
 4. A vacuum coating apparatus comprising a housing havinga bottom plate portion, a top cover portion covering said bottom plateportion and defining a main sealable chamber therein, a rotatable tablein said housing main chamber, means connected to said table to rotatesaid table sealed with said housing member, a plurality of ring supportsspaced circumferentially around said table and having means forsupporting a product to be coated therein, and each being aligned withan annular top ring surface adjacent said cover and an annular bottomring surface adjacent said bottom plate of said housing, at least onecoating chambeR connected to said bottom plate of said housing andopening into said main chamber, said coating chamber having a coatingchamber evacuation connection for evacuating said coating chamber,resilient means resiliently supporting said table and the associatedring supports for axial displaceable movement toward and away from saidcoating chamber, and a cover plate mounted on said cover and beingdisplaceable toward said ring to engage and seal said ring and displaceit into sealing engagement with said coating chamber.
 5. An apparatusaccording to claim 4, including at least one second chamber connected tosaid cover and having an annular edge alignable over the annular end ofsaid ring support structures, a separate additional evaporationconnection connected to said additional chamber for evacuating saidadditional chamber and a second sealing plate displaceably carried onsaid bottom plate of said housing and movable toward said sealing ringwhich is aligned with said additional sealing chamber to displace saidring toward said chamber and to seal the end thereof in respect to saidmain chamber.